Photo compilation: 12-year-old Tamir Rice; a comparison of the Airsoft replica he was carrying the day he was killed with a real 1911 Colt pistol it was modeled after, according to officials. Rice was fatally shot by an officer in a Cleveland park on Nov. 22, 2014.

The police officer who fatally shot 12-year-old Tamir Rice in a Cleveland park more than two years ago has been fired from his position with the police department for discrepancies found on his employment application.

Director of Public Safety, Michael McGrath and Cleveland Police Chief Calvin D. Williams announced the decision Tuesday at the conclusion of the multi-agency investigation into the 2014 shooting.

An independent investigation conducted by the Department of Public Safety Office of Quality Control revealed that former Cleveland Patrol Officer Timothy Loehmann “was not truthful in statements made in his personal history” portion of his employment application. More specifically, Loehmann failed to disclose that, prior to his employment with the Cleveland Police Department, at the end of six-month probationary period with the Independence Police Department, Loehmann’s performance was found to be unsatisfactory.

According to documents, the Independence Police Department determined Loehmann was “emotional [sic] immature” and had the “inability to emotionally function.” In addition, during a firearms qualification course, Loehmann “could not follow simple directions and had an emotional breakdown,” causing him to be sent home for the day.

Loehmann was faced with being terminated from the Independence Police Department but instead given the option to resign, which he took. But Loehmann failed to disclose that information to the Cleveland department, despite being given at least three chances to explain or otherwise elaborate on his employment – and resignation – with the Independence Police Department. On Loehmann’s employment application with the Cleveland department, he stated his reasons for leaving the Independence department simply as “personal.”

When asked generally about any disqualifications from employment with other departments or agencies, as well as more specifically if he had taken a Civil Service Examination for any other departments or government agencies, Loehmann was untruthful with his answers.

Then, in a follow-up interview with the Cleveland Police Department prior to his employment there, Loehmann still failed to correct any false answers or statements submitted on his application, despite being given the opportunity to do so. It was police officials’ opinion that the discrepancies were grounds for termination.

In addition to the measures taken against Loehmann, who fired the two fatal shots at Tamir, Officer Frank Garmback, who was driving the patrol car that day, received a 10-day suspension for failure to “employ proper tactics.” Specifically, when arriving on the scene, Garmback pulled the patrol car too close to the subject in question, who – given the information they had at the time – the officers believed to be a grown man with a real gun, according to the report.

Constance Hollinger, a dispatcher with the Cleveland Police Department, was also given an eight-day suspension in January for failing to provide the responding officers with all of the details she had been given surrounding the incident.

Numerous calls had come into the police station that day — Nov. 22, 2014 — about the boy in the park who was pointing a gun at passersby. Callers indicated the subject was terrorizing passersby and instilling fear, although one caller did indicate she felt the subject was a juvenile and the gun “probably fake,” two details which were not disclosed to officers Loehmann and Garmback.

However, as the officers arrived on the scene, Tamir reached for the gun, which was tucked into his waistband, and pulled it out within plain view. Within seconds, shots were fired, and Tamir fell to the ground. It wasn’t until after the shots were fired that the officers realized the gun carried by Tamir was an airsoft gun with the orange tip removed.

In December 2015, the officers were cleared of any criminal charges, although an investigation by the Department of Justice did find that the Cleveland Police Department often used excessive and unnecessary force.

Probably a mistake to do that. In using that as an excuse they are essentially saying that no other person employed by the lied on their application and that just isn’t a reality that they can claim. So his lawyer, when he retains one will ask for the application of every officer employed by the city of Cleveland and they will find discrepancies and they will ask if these people will also be fired and then Cleveland will settle because they aren’t going to be able to fire the rest.

Kurt Akemann

He won’t sue and Cleveland wouldn’t settle if he did. This skunk isn’t going to want anymore time in the spotlight, and Cleveland won’t give him a dollar given how that would offend the city’s citizens.

mate556

They won’t want to give him a dollar. But want and firing a guy for BS reasons for doing nothing legally wrong and ruining his life are two different things. If he sues, and he should given that his hirabilty in any vocation is now limited, he will win because that was a BS reason to fire him because there was no case against him.

Mike in Illinois

YUP.
This will be expensive Social Justice Propaganda.

Kentucky red

So according to the PD he worked for before he couldn’t even follow directions and had a breakdown on the Range? Don’t sound to me like quality police material.

mate556

We still don’t know with any certainty what that means and what it implies. From what I heard initially when this all transpired was that he was skittish on the range, as in guns and shooting made him nervous, which could potentially explain the “breakdown”. It doesn’t seem to imply he was reckless. If that was the case then it seems that he got over that.

Mike in Illinois

Twist and Torque some more jenny.

This fella is gonna get PAID. Bet on that.

IamThe Ghost

Let us recall that this was determined to be a justifiable use of lethal force. City paid $6mil to family even though a Suit was not even filed. Now the City wants a few pounds of flesh anywhere they can get it.